Mayor, NYPD Tout City’s Safest First Quarter in Modern CompStat Era

Mayor de Blasio, Police Commissioner O’Neill and NYPD brass made the announcement on Monday on Randall’s Island.

By Forum Staff

The city’s sustained reduction in violence and overall crime continued through March 2017, making this the safest first quarter in the modern CompStat-era, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner Jim O’Neill announced on Monday.

According to the administration, compared with the same time period as last year, the first quarter of 2017 had: seven fewer murders; 42 fewer shootings; and 1,219 fewer index crimes.

“New York City continues to experience historic reductions in crime, as seen in the first quarter of 2017,” O’Neill said. “I am proud of the men and women of this Department, who remain focused on further reducing violence while working to strengthen relationships through neighborhood policing by solving problems and fighting crime.”

According to the mayor and the City Police Department, for the month of March 2017, there were 7,253 overall index crimes reported, compared with 7,948 in March 2016 – a reduction of 695 crimes, or -8.7 percent. There were 18 murders reported in March 2017, compared with 28 in March 2016 – a reduction of 10 crimes, or -35.7 percent. There were 104 rapes reported in March 2017, compared with 101 in March of last year – an increase of three crimes, or +3 percent. There were 949 robberies reported in March 2017, compared with 1,168 in March 2016 – a reduction of 219 crimes, or -18.8 percent. There were 1,528 felonious assaults reported in March 2017, compared with 1,611 during the same time period last year – a reduction of 83 crimes, or -5.2 percent. There were 907 burglaries reported in March 2017, compared with 1,036 in March 2016 – a reduction of 127 crimes, or -12.5 percent. There were 3,329 grand larcenies reported in March 2017, compared with 3,588 in March 2016 – a reduction of 259 crimes, or -7.2 percent. There were 418 automobile thefts reported in March 2017, compared with 416 in March 2016 – an increase of two crimes. And there were 48 shooting incidents reported in March 2017, compared with 67 in March 2016 – a reduction of 19 shooting incidents, or -28.3 percent.

“The continued reduction of violent crime across the five boroughs is nothing short of remarkable, with this past quarter being the safest in the Comp-Stat era,” de Blasio said. “The City is on pace for a record year in lows for shootings and homicides. These trends are due in large part to the NYPD’s effective precision and neighborhood policing models that aim to root out violent crime in the small pockets where it still exists and work with the public stop crime before it starts and solve it when it occurs. A big congratulation is due to Police Commissioner O’Neill and the men and women who wear the uniform.”

However, not all of this week’s NYPD statistical news was positive. There were 225 crimes reported in the Transit Bureau in March 2017, compared with 178 in March 2016. This is an increase of 47 crimes, or +26.4 percent.